Mercedes Struggles with Tire Strategy at British GP

Mercedes team experienced a disappointing day at the British Grand Prix — poor strategy decisions in rainy conditions cost the team potential podium positions.

George Russell starting from fourth and Andrea Kimi Antonelli from tenth position faced various strategy issues. Antonelli was forced to retire after an incident with Isack Hadjar, while Russell managed to score just one point.

Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff criticized the team’s decisions:

“The first decision from within the car and team was terribly wrong. This triggered a domino effect that made the situation worse.”

Wolff explained that the team should have implemented different strategies for both drivers — an approach that could have resulted in a podium position similar to Nico Hulkenberg’s achievement.

Russell defended the early pit stop decision:

“Pitting at the beginning wasn’t a stupid decision because it was dry for 25 minutes. What we didn’t anticipate was the virtual safety car for 15 minutes.”

While the initial strategy showed promise with a five-second pace advantage, the combination of virtual safety car and changing weather conditions prevented the team’s plan from succeeding.